1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for receiving electromagnetic signals and, more particularly, to a multi-surface printed conductive trace antenna and a method of receiving signals using a multi-surface printed conductive trace antenna.
2. Description of the Background
The use of cordless and cellular telephones is increasing exponentially in modern society. However, the antennae of early handsets for use in such telephone systems made portability of the handsets, over short or long distances, cumbersome. Additionally, storage of handsets having exterior antennae is difficult, as such handsets do not fit into pockets, purses, wallets, or similar spaces.
As the size of handset antennae has decreased, those handsets have become more portable and easier to store. However, the antennae still provide an impediment to portability and storability. Additionally, antennae could be easily broken if they extend too far to be easily stored or carried. Prior art attempts to decrease the size of the antenna used with handsets, or eliminate the exterior antenna completely, have typically led to a corresponding decrease in the performance of the antenna, and, thus, of the handset. Antennae printed on printed circuit boards have helped alleviate both problems, providing improved performance and smaller size, but such antennae still have a finite length to which they can be reduced while still retaining adequate performance characteristics.
Therefore, the need exists for an antenna for use with telephone handsets that provides an elimination of the need for the antenna to be mounted externally to the handset, and thus provides ease in portability and storability, without a sacrifice in antenna performance.
The present invention is directed to a multiple-surface antenna. The multi-surface antenna includes a multi-surface dielectric substrate and a conductive trace formed on at least two surfaces of the dielectric substrate. The multi-surface dielectric substrate may include multiple layers. The conductive trace is positioned across at least two surfaces of the substrate, and is formed in a predetermined pattern. The predetermined pattern may be a crossing pattern, wherein the conductive trace overlaps itself at a plurality of orthogonal crossing points to form the crossing pattern, or a series of symmetric shapes. The multi-surface dielectric substrate, having the trace formed thereon, may then be integrated entirely within a telephone handset.
The present invention also includes a method of receiving signals using an antenna. The method includes providing a multi-surface dielectric substrate, printing on at least two surfaces of the dielectric substrate a conductive trace formed into a periodic pattern, receiving at least one signal at the conductive trace, passing the received signal through at least a portion of the conductive trace, and feeding the received signal from the conductive trace to a coupled receiver. The coupled receiver may be a cellular or cordless telephone handset.
The present invention solves problems experienced with the prior art because the present invention provides an antenna and a method for use with a telephone handset that provides an elimination of the need for an external antenna, and thus provides ease in portability and storability, without a sacrifice in antenna performance. The elimination of the need for an external antenna is provided through a decrease in physical length of the antenna, while maintaining the same physical area of the antenna, through the use of the conductive trace across multiple surfaces of a dielectric substrate. Those and other advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention hereinbelow.